What's your favorite topwater baits???

[dolphinatic]

Just curious as to what the "pros" on this site prefer to use when fishing for trout and reds using topwater. I have a vast majority of them from pink & chartreuse skitterwalks to all the "Dogs" (popa dogs, top dogs she dogs....etc.). Got my favorites in Mirrorlures also, but most are sinking twitchbaits. The reason I ask, is that I talk to quite a few anglers who have regular success with them, but my success is alot of hit-n-miss. The other day out of Aucilla, I threw alot of topwater with only a few short strikes. We fished from depths of 2-5 feet on a rising tide with good water movement over grass and mixed sand bottom and also along the grass lines. When this didn't work, we went to the live shrimp as our back-up. The reds hit the shrimp immmediately and we caught 8 in 45 minutes, all in the slot with no shorts. We even managed a few trout around 15-17". The topwater explosion from a nice red or trout is my favorite part of fishing the flats, but when it comes down to catching fish, I don't care about the method if it's fish I'm after. I've been using a 7' heavy action Challenger IM8 with a Calcutta 200 spooled with 15 lb. mono. I also use a 7' medium action Whicked Stik with a Shimano 4000 spining reel spooled with 20 lb. Power Pro and a 20 lb. flouro leader. I tie all lures with a rapala knot for better action.

Let me know what you pros out there think and any additional input would be appreciated.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

DOLPH, LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE IT ABOUT DOWN TO WHAT I USE. THE EXCEPTION IS THE SINKER MIRRO-LURE 52 M R 24, IT SINKS ABOUT 1 ' PER COUNT DOWN. MANY TIMES THIS LURE IS THE ONLY THING THEY WILL HIT IN MY ARSENAL. I HAVE BEEN OUT WITH CARL, HE WOULD BE USING CHUG BUGS, SKITTERWALKS, TOP DOGS ETC AND GRUBS UNDER TK AND MAYBE PICK UP ONE EVERY NOW AND THEN , IN THE MEANTIME I WOULD GET A TROUT ON ABOUT EVERYOTHER CAST ON THE 52 M R 24. ONE DAY HE WOULD NOT USE ANYTHING BUT CHUG BUGS, I CAUGHT 9 TROUT TO HIS ONE WITH ALL OF MINE KEEPERS FROM 17 TO 25 INCHES AND THE ONE HE CAUGHT WAS 13 1/2 ". I HAVE ALSO BEEN OUT WITH OTHER FISHERMEN WHEN THEY WOULD DO THE SAME THING TO ME USING GRUBS WHILE I WAS THROWING EVERY TOP WATER I HAD IN THE BOX. YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP TRYING DIFFERENT PLUGS WHEN ONE DOES NOT WORK THAT YOU HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH IN THE PAST. SOME DAYS I HAVE BEEN DOWN AND NOT EVER GET A STRIKE ON EVERYTHING OLD CARL AND I WOULD CAST. JUST KEEP TRYING.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[jsuber]

One of the things I see the most with folks using topwater, is that they do not use it correctly. I don't know if you do or not, but I would ask someone like Junior Dice or Casey Cook if you are retrieving it correctly. You do not work a skiterwalk type lure the same way you do a popping lure. You don't work a popping lure like you do a skitterwalk. When you retrieve skitterwalk you shuold lightly twitch the tip of your rod to cause the skitterwalk to go from side to side in short 6 inch movements. Capt Rick Murphy uses this little rhyme "Click-idy Clack Down The Railroad Track,
Click-idy Clack Down The Railroad Track." and repeats it over and over. This causes the bearing to pop inside, and gives the fish a good idea where to strike, otherwise you'll have a lot of misses. Sometimes you work it all the way to the boat to draw attention, and other times you make about 5 or 6 twitches and let it sit for a five count. Also when I cast, I let the circles around the lure diasppear before I start working it. Often times I get a strike then. Here is a good video from rapala showing the proper movement of a skitterwalk which is pretty much the same as a Super Spook or any of the Mirrolure odg lures like top dog or papa dog.

Here is the link to the video from Rapala Skitterwalk video

Another good topwater bait thats really easy to use is a prop bait. THey have props on the front and back and you just make a slow drag.

[dolphinatic]

I do work the skitterwalk different from the popping plugs. I do get strikes and do catch fish, just not as regularly as I do with other baits. It's worth fishing topwater to me though, even with the fewer strikes. Like the other day....the reds would not touch a topwater in close, but as soon as I threw them a live shrimp...BAMM!!!! We could see the fish tailing, but they would not hit a topwater. I get ALOT of foul hooks too. About every 3rd cast results in a fouled hook on the leader. That gets frustrating I just replaced all my treble hooks with a smaller, sharper #2 treble. Missed every fish that struck at the lure the other day. The strikes were more out of curiosity than attempts to take the bait. Gonna keep at it though

[Flint River Pirate]

In my opinion, it is HARD to beat a Zara Spook. I have caught so many fish on one.

[Tennessee]

In my opinion, it is HARD to beat a Zara Spook. I have caught so many fish on one.

What you said or a swimming Sammy 100, little expensive, but they like em.

[jsuber]

When I get a strike on a topwater and a light miss, I'll immediately follow up with something deeper like a spoon or jig, and usually pick up a fish.

[captkeyser]

By far my favorite lures are topwater. The top of my list is the "Super Spook." The reason for this, and JR and Casey will tell you the same, is it's size. The bigger the better when it comes to Gator trout. It also has 3 treble hooks unlike it's competitors the "Skitterwalk, and I believe the Top Dog." The absolute key to working the Super Spook is casting the thing as far as you possibly can. The biggest problem with making these long casts is getting a hook set. It is hard to clear all the stretch in the line when it is so far out. However, these long casts are necessary to catch the larger trout, as they are much more alert to their surroundings than their smaller counter parts. It's kinda a catch 22.

Now if your missing fish, then welcome to the topwater game. YOu will miss far more fish on the surface than you will down below. The key to maximizing your hookups is to delay your hook set. We all have the tendancy to yank back as soon as we see the explosion, and this is how a majority of fish are missed. When you see the fish strike the lure, wait a second to see if the lure has disappeard, or until you feel tension on the line. The hooks on the Super Spook are EXTREMELY sharp and chances are that if the fish has made contact with the lure then it has already hooked itself. IF the fish has already hooked itself and you follow up with a another swinging hookset then you have now teared a small gap in the trout's mouth allowing for the hooks to shake free when the fish does it's dance. Once I know the fish has made contact with the plug then all I like to do is "prick" the fish by simply bringing the rod tip back a couple inches in a sharp jerk, not a full out hookset.

I have increased my strike to hook up ratio 3 fold by using this method. It takes a good bit of getting used to and a lot of self discipline but the end result is well worth it. Sorry about the novel, but this has really helped me out and just thought I should share.

[Redbelly]

I have found that a certain twitching will create the "walk the dog" action on most topwaters. It seems to me sometimes less walking is the ticket, and more walking is what they want at other times. Lately a 4-5 twitch action with a long pause has attracted strikes. If they miss I will give it a miniscule twitch and pause and most times they hit again.
I don't use poppers, but have for bass, and may get some for salt. I have a couple of prop baits but have never caught one on them.
Dropping a jig behind a missed strike is productive.

Sometimes they just ain't hittin' on some topwater. It's my favorite.

I ain't a pro.

[Warrior]

I agree with Keyser but as far as the hookset I fish 7' light action rod with 20lb test do not snatch when you get a strike just pull back on your rod the light action rod will det the hook for you.The reason for 20lb line is for the long distance casts to give you a little less line stretch the light action rod keeps you from pulling hooks as bad especially on trout.LONG DISTANCE CASTING IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO TOPWATER FISHING!!!!GOOD LUCK

[dolphinatic]

Thanks for all the input guys

Maybe I'll get some time to apply this weekend.

[kikstand454]

id also like to add that if you use braid you wont have that stretch on long casts, but you have to set the hook even softer. i like 20# power pro with a 25# flouro leader. uni to uni knot. this time of year i know theres not alot of spanish and do away with the leader. i like the bright yellow for topwater as its easier for me to see the line move if the fish actually has the lure out at 40yrds. and its harder for the fish to see profiled against the sky.
i can catch fish.... i just cant seem to find them.

[Flint River Pirate]

Kickstand, how's that baby doing?

[Charles]

Not a "pro" here; I just catch a few fish on occasion.

Sometimes they're feeling lazy. Sometimes they won't come up for a topwater, or if they do they just slap at it rather than try to take it. Sometimes they'll hit on top when they won't take anything deeper.

I like the MirrOlure She Dog when I want a higher pitch rattle, or a Rapala Skitter Walk for a lower pitch, although I remain unconvinced that the pitch of the sound really matters. I don't think color matters much on a topwater, either. Unless it's chrome, which imparts a little more flash. When fishing these in water that's a little choppy, in addition to walking the lure, I'll also let it sit "still" on a slightly slack line allowing the waves to impart the action and sound. Trout love this, I think, because it looks so easy.

Another topwater that I like is the 7M MirrOlure. From a floating position I pull it to make it dive, then allow it to float back to the surface and rest. Repeat. It doesn't have to make a lot of noise. The trout will find it.

I have also caught a lot of fish on double propped topwaters like the Cotton Cordell Boy Howdy and the Smithwick Devil's Horse.